Method of and apparatus for dry cleaning



Oct. 13 1925.

T. GmswoLp. JR

I METHOD OF AND AFFARATUS EQR DRY CLEANING Hind Nov 2, 1921 3 shee ts sheot INVENTOR- %0/7M r/JWo/z/ Jr Q y, H9442 ATTORN Y5 Patented oct: 13, 1925.

,UNITED STATES PATENT 0am,

THOMAS emswonn, JR, or MIDLAND, mronrean, Ass'mnon. r0 m now cnmncnn COMPANY, OF MIDLAND, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF METHOD OF AND APPARATUSFOR DBY- GLEA NING.

App 1ication filed November 2, 1921. Serial No. 512,242.

To all whom it may concern:

;Be it known that I, THOMAS GRIswoLD, Jr a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Midland, county of' Midland, 6 and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of and Apparatus for Dry Cleaning, ofwhich the following is aspecification, the principle of the invention belng herein explained, and 10 the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish .-it from other invent1ons.-

' The present improvements have to do 'more particularly with the removal from ,1 garments, such as underwear, stockings and the like, of the occasional oil spots which appear to be unavoidable in the course of fabrication. It will be understood, however, that use of the invention isnot limited .20 to factories making garments, but may be employed generally wherever materials of the character in hand are found with limited areas required to be cleaned and where it is not necessary or desirable tocleanse the entire article.

- The' current practice, in underwear factories for example, is to throw out the garments on which spots are detected and wash such spotswith gasoline and soap preparatitins, using water and hand labor. This procedure necessitates that the garments be subsequently dried onla stretcher and ironed, thus requiring considerable time and constituting a serious item of expense in fabrication. An even more serious objection to such current procedure is the disarrangement of the course of manufacture, in that it is usually regarded as necessary that the soiled garments be restored to the particular lot and package to which they belong so that sizes, lots and costs may be accurately kept. Accordingly, the delay in thus removing the oil spots holds up the progress of the whole lot of goods and requires that after such spots have been removed the goodsmust be restored at a particular point in the line of progress of the lot. \The. present invention, in the first place, has as its object the provision of means whereby a solvent,"such as carbon tetrachloride may be employed in such an economical manner as'to render its use commercially practicable, while inasmuch as such solvent readily evaporates, the goods treated therewith will not require re-stretching-or ironing, and the time for performing the cleaning operation may be made so short that such goods can be promptly returned to their original positions in the line of progress of the material through the'facr tory. Instead of carbon tetrachloride other equivalent cleansing agents may be employed, and particularly a mixture of sol-' vents with carbon tetrachloride as one of the ingredients. Such a mixture may contain, for example, in addition to carbon tetrachloride, either acetone, or acetone and ben zol. The use of carbon tetrachloride is highly desirable because it enables the cleaning operation to be carried on in a room or factory in which inflammables, such as garments, are present inquantity without fire hazard, which obviously is not the case where naphtha or other inflammable solvents are used. Furthermore, by reason of the method and special construction of apparatus which I have devised the. quantity of solvent carried out by the goods is so small and the exposure of the stock" of solvent used in the device isso limited that but little odor is present in the room, and a minimum of inconvenience is entailed as regards the operator.

A further difliculty encountered in pre-, vailing methods of cleaning spots from garments is the so-called ringing of the spot, i. e., adiscoloration or ring'is ,left'around the spot after cleaning. This is apparently.

due to the capillary action of the fabric which causes the solvent to spread, carrying with it the oil which constituted the original spot, and upon evaporation of such solvent, while such original spot may have been removed, the result is the production of a larger and more unsatisfactory defect. By my present im roved method and apparatus I am enab ed to avoid this ringing effect in that I introduce the solvent to the goods around the spot in a circle and take it out in the spot, thereby preventing the flow of a solvent containing oil from the spot outwards into the garment.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention then consists of the steps and means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus adapted for the carrying out of my improved method of dry-cleaning; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of such machine; Fig. 3 is a plan-view thereofgFig; 4 is a central vertical section of a portion of such apparatustaken on a somewhat-larger scale, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 4-4, Figs. 2 and. 3; Fig. 5 is a broken view similar to Fig. 4, butshowing on a still larger scale the construction of two co-opcratingv parts; Fig. 6 is i atransverse sec tion of certain of the parts appearing in Fig. 4, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 66-on said figure; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing only one portion of the apparatus therein appearin in modified form.

The apparatus as i lustrated in the afo esaid drawings is supported upon a suitab e table orbench 1 WhlCh may take on any desired form.v Supported in the lower framework ofthe table is a motor 2 that serves to drive a countershaft 3 through the medium .of suitable pulleys 4 and 5 and connecting belt 6, such shaftibeing hung from the under side of the table top. From such table top is also hung a tank or reservoir 7 for containing a quantity of a solvent used in the cleaning operation, such reservoir being provided with a filling nozzle 8 and a draw-0E 9 for .the sediment or the spent charge. Leading from this reservoir is a pipe 10,- in whichis interposed a strainer 11 and a suitable pump 12, shown as av standard geared oil pump, by means of which the solvent ma be withdrawn and supplied to the cleaning apparatus 'pro er through suitable conne'ctions, as will plained. The pump 12 is driven from a pulley on co'untershaft3 through a belt 13,

as will be readily understood.

The cleaning apparatus proper comprises.

a hollow member or pipe 15-.of inverted U- shape, which may be referred to inclusively as a goose neck, such member being pivotally attached to the top of the table near the forward edge thereof between two 4 standards 17 by means of a'pin 16. Such goose neck member is formed with a depending arm 18 that projects through the table top, and is connected by means of a link 19 with a foot pedal 20, the effect of depressing such pedal being to swing the goose neck member in acounter-clockwise direction and bring its free end forcibly down, upon a cup member 21 mounted dibelt 31 passing around a pulle 32 on one through an angle of 90 degreesfrom its tight seal with the free end of the goose e presently exto the arm 26 will, "when the goose neck rectly at the edge of the table top 1. A ten sion spring 22, connected at one end -to the under side of the table top, and at the other adjustably connected with link 19, serves normally to retain the goose neck in the 7 raised position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 4, in which the front end is lifted clear of said cup member. p

Hinged upon the same pin 16, about which the goose neck 15 is thus oscillatory, 7 is a hammer 25, which, together with the curved supporting arm 26 therefor, is wholly contained within the goose neck. Said arm 26 is provided with a lever extension 27 that depends below the pin 16 and is connected, by means of a link 28, with an eccentric shaft 29 journaled in the rear depending portion 30 of the goose/neck. This eccentric shaft 29 is driven by means of a" of its endswhich projects thr ugh the side wall of the goose neck, the other end of such belt passing around a ulley 33 on countershaft 3. The efiectjof rotating,ec-' centric shaft 29 is to cause the arm 26 to vibrate and thereby raise and lower the hammerin an approximately verticalldirec tion, the raised position thereof being shown in. dotted outline, and the lowered position infulllinesinF1g.4'. -r

It will be noted that oscillation ofothe goose neck does not in anyway change the arm 26, connecting rod 28 and eccentric shaft 29, all of 'Wh1ch maintain their positions relative to such gooseneck, unaffected by the movement ofthelatter.

illustration, is shown in Fig. 4' as rotated proper position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 for example, has.a washer'or gasket35 in its 11 per end that 'is retained in place by a 7 suital ile shoulder 36 and serves to form a neck 15 in the lowered position of the latter. This cup is divided into two chambers by a partition 37, one such chamber being connected witha pipe 38 and the other with a pipe 39, which pi es are connectedin turn 1 with the reservoir and pump" 12. so that a 1 circulation of solvent may be set ,up' fromsaid reservoir Tthrough pipe :39, the one chamber 40, the other chamber 41 .and thence out pipe 38. I

\Vithin the cup 21, supported 11 'onfthe therein, is an annular member 42 that carries at itsfupper end a plate43. 'Said plate, as best shown in-Fig. 5,. is perforated and' lies immediately below and closely adjacent. to the perforated lower surface of the hamrelation between the pin 16, the hammer I i The cup 21, which, for convenience of partition 37 and resting in a suita le seat.

mer head 25. With the parts" properly 'positioned the vibratory movement impa is I pressed down against the cup, cause said ammer to strike upon said plate 43 as.

screw 52 that is adapted to enter any one of a series of recesses 53 provided upon the outer cylindrical surface of the rear end of the goose neck By shifting the positionof such yoke, andcorrespondingly rocking'the eccentric bushings 50 to which it is'attached, the-normal or mean position of the hammer arm 26 within the goose neck may be raised or lowered, as will be evident, and as a result the normal position of the ham- I mer head 25 can be varied so as to affect its relation to the anvil plate 43. When a satisfactory adjustment is secured, 'by tightening screw '52 the yoke is secured in I position and thereafter maintains the ham- .mer head in the adjusted relation selected with respect to the anvil.

Pipe 39, leading to the cup, connects through a cross valve with the portion of pipe 10 rising from pump 12 and with a by-pass 56 that joins pipe 38 at the T 57 and returns to the reservoir through a connection 58. In the by-pass 56 there is located a throttle valve 59, and connected with the riser 10 is a gauge. 60, shown simply as a glass tube, such gauge being a convenience, although not'necessary to the operation of the apparatus. In pipe I, 39 there is provided a quick-opening'valve 61 that'is adapted tobe operated from' a hand lever62 through the medium of a bellcrank arm 63 carried by said lever and a link 64-that connects said arm with anarm 65 on the valve stem. Hand lever 62. is pivotally supported on' a bracket 66 depending below the table top '2 and carries a, pulley 67 that is disposed to engage with tfhe' belt 31 and act as a belt tightener' thereor. I

The -operation of the several component parts of the apparatus, havingbeen indicated in, connection with the description thereof, the general manner of operation of 3. the apparatus will now be set forth.

The countershaft 3 will be operated at a predetermined rate of speed from motor 2 or other source of power. Assuming,

then, that the foot lever 20 is released'and the goose neck 15 accordingly raised, a gar- I ment or like article having a spot thereon to be removed by means of the solvent contained in the reservoir 7.. may be placed in position between the cup 21 and the lower endof the goose neck with such spot over,

the anvil plate .43. The cross-valve 55 and the by-pass valve 59 will be so adjusted that when the quick-opening valve 61 is 9 i open the flow of solvent induced by the pump 12 will be divided between pipe 39 voir through connection 58. By proper manipulation of the valves in question the amount of solvent which is supplied. to the cup 21 will'be just suflicient to cause a certain small desired rate of flow of solvent up through the outer annular chamber 40, and over the plate 43, through which it will drain into the interior of the anvil and thence return by way of chamber 11 in the cup and the pipe 38 back to the reservoir; With the proper rate of flow of solvent over the, anvil plate thus established, and

the goose neck raised as before stated, the I hand lever 62 is'manipula ed to stop the flow of solvent to the cup by way. of pipe 39. Anaperture 70, not previously referred to, may be provided inthe side of theannular member 42, 'so that as soon as the .flow of fresh solvent is stopped, the excess solvent above such aperture immediately pipe 38 to the reservoir. The garment or other article having been slipped,in between the goose neck and the cup, and the spot centered upon the anvil-as previously described, the goose neck is thereupon drains out of the cup, returning by way of lowered by pressing down the foot lever 20 26 and causing the hammer head 25 to beat upon the portion of the garment centered over the anvil 4:3.

The solvent, as it wells up in the outer annular chamber'of the cup, surrounds the spot which is to be removed as the latter rests upon, the anvil, and flows from a ring around such spotto and through the same into the central opening in annular member 42, and thence to the cup exit. The result of'the action of the hammer is to alternately compress and permit expansion of the fibrous material composing the garment, and at the same time it assists in the mechanical removal of any solid or insoluble form of dirt that may adhere to the oil moistened fibersof the fabric. The solvent flow will carry away suc-h'oil by solution, and such loosened solid particles in suspension, so that after a few moments treat- 70 and the by-pass 56 that returns to the res'er- Meanwhile the goose neck is maintained closed by continuous pressure on'foot lever until the greater part of the solvent in the wetted portion of the garment within the oose neckis drained away. Thereupon the oot pressure may be released, the goose neck opened, nd the garment removed.

If it be desired to continue the action of the hammer after the flowof solvent has ceased the idler pulley 67 may be removed and the belt 31 made tight enough so that the eccentric shaft 29 will be driven irrespec'tive of the movement of said hand lever.

While the action of the hammer has been found of assistance, particularly in expediting the cleaning operation without requir ing the flow of solvent to be at a very high rate, such hammer may be. entirely dispensed with, as illustrated in the modified construction of Fig. 7. As here shown, while I have retained cup 21 in form substantially identical with that shown in Fig. 4, the lowerend of the'goose neck 15 is simply closed across by means of a partition 71 spaced a sho'rt distanceback so as to leave a space or chamber ,7 2-above the anvil plate 43 and the fabric resting thereon, when the goose neck is pressed down on the cup. In order to press the fabric closely against the plate 43 around the outer edge thereof, an annular plate 73 may in addition ,be provided, being attached to the partition 71 through the medium of a spiral spring 74.

As a result; when the goose neck'is brought down on the cup, the fabric is not only held upon the gasket 35by pressure of'the end of the goose neck itself, but upon the anvil proper, by the pressure of such ring 73.

This'compels the solvent to flew up through the fabric around the outside, and down through. the'in'terior areas over the perforated .plate without by-passing underneath the fabric. ,With this arrangement the rateofflow. of the solvent can be increased, and such extraflow is found to be the equivalent, to'a large extent, of the action of the vibrator hammer with a lower rate of flow of-solvent. v 1

In" both forms of apparatus the trouble-- somefringing of the spot is practically entirely avolded because freshsolvent always comesin through the fabric around the .Ql'ifllfll spot and washes towards the latter "not away from it. By enclosing the portion of the fabric which is to be treated within a sealed compartment, such as is formed by the ose neck and the cup, ex-

' .cessive use of so ent and waste'by evaporation are avoided, and at the same time the clamping. of the fabric between the freeend of the goose neck andzthe cushion seal provided' on the cup prevents almost entirelythe spread of the "solvent by ca illarity be-' yond the circular area so enc osed. The amount of solvent that remains in the fabric after cleaning is accordingly limited to that which remains absorbed in such rela- .tively small portion.

It will be understood of course that the solvent maybe heated in certain cases if found desirable in order to facilitate the removement of spots, since the opportunity for I the solvent to evaporate is so circumscribed, in the present apparatus. It will also be understood that when the solvent inthe reservoir becomes contaminated with oil or dirt to' a degree that will cause unsatisfactory cleaning it may be drawn 0E and a fresh charge put in; or the settlings in the bottom of the reservoir may be drawn off from time to time and fresh solvent supplied to make up for What is thus drawn off plus that which is lost in the process. While 'various changesmay be made in the apparalishment of a ring-shaped barrier surrounding the portion of the fabric, or like material being treated. may be accomplished in other Ways than by reversely flowing the solvent, or equivalent cleansing medium through such surrounding and spotted por-- tions. Thus, a sufficient flow of solvent all in one direction through a circumscribed area, including both portions, may be maintained so as to establish in effect such a ringshaped barrier of fresh solvent and prevent diffusionof the contaminated solvent passing through the affected portion of, such area. i I

Other modes of applyingthe principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the means and the steps herein disclosed, provided those stated by any of the following claims ior their equivalents be employed.

I therefore particularly oint out and distinctly claim as my invent1on:--

' 1. In a. method of removing a spot from a fabric or like material, the step which consists in passing a directed current of solvent through and thence away out of contact with a definitely circumscribed portion of such material, including. the spot andthe material immediately surrounding the same.

- 2. In a method'of removing a spot from a fabric or like material, the step which consists in passing a directed current of solvent through and thence away but of contact with a limited portion of such material, including the spot, and at the same time protecting such por ion and the solvent passing therethrough rom the atmosphere.

3. In a method of removing a spot from a fabric or like'perme'able material, the step which consists in passing a directed current of a cleansing medium through and'thence away out of ,contact with a limitedportion of such material, including the spot, there '4; In a method of removing spotsfrom a fabric or like material the steps which consist in flowing a solvent through a circums-v scribed portion of such material including such a. spot and simultaneously beatingthe spotted portionf 5; In a method of removing a spot from a fabric orlike material, the stepwhich convsists in passing a directed flow of solvent through and around the spot at a rate which will prevent-soiling matter removed by the solvent from movingoutwa'rdly from 'the spot into the ..fabric, thereby preventing ringing. 1

6. In a method of removing spots from a fabric or like material, the steps which consist in flowing a solvent through such spot,-

and simultaneously flowing fresh solvent through the portion 'of such"v material su r-.

rounding such spot, so as to prevent, diffusion of the contaminated surrounding portion.-

solvent into such 7 Ina method of removing a spot jrom a fabric or like material, the steps which consist in passing a directed current-of solvent through the spot and simultaneously passing a directed current through a portion of the material surrounding the spot, whereby the soiling matter removed from the fabric by the solvent is prevented from passing outwardly from the spot into the fabric surrounding the treated area. 7 p I 8. In a method of removing a spot from a fabric or like material, the steps which con-' sist in washing thespot in a flow of solvent and maintaining at the same time a flow of solvent through a portion of the material surrounding the spot in volumes suflicient to prevent matter taken up by the solvent passing through such spot from, passing outwardly therefrom" through the solvent or material into the adjacent portion of the latter.

9. In a method of removing spots from a fabric or like material, the steps which consist in flowing a solvent through such spot, preventing diffusion of the contaminated solvent into such surrounding portion, and:

simultaneously beating the spottedportion.

passing outwardly therefrom into the a member adapted to press a piece of fabric I In a method of cleaning fabric or like permeable matgrial, the step which consists inflowing ac eansing medium succes sively through adjacent portions of such material in opposite directions. p

11. In a'method of cleaning a fabric or like permeable material, thestep which,'con-' sists in flowing a cleansing medium successively through a portionof such material surroundingthe portion to 'be'cleaned and? then through such last-mentioned portion.

12. In a method of cleaning a fabric or like permeable material, the step which consists in flowing a cleansing medium'succes sivelythrough a portion ofsuch material surrounding the portion to be cleaned and then in the opposite direction through-such last-mentioned portio 1' 13.111 a method of removing spots from a fabric or like permeable material, the step which consists in flowing a cleansing medium successively through a-c'ircular portion of such 'material surrounding such a spot and then through the latter in the opposite. direction; Y I

14. In amethod of removing spots from na fabric or like permeable material, the steps which consist in flowing 'a cleansing j-med1um successively through a portlon of such materlal surrounding the affected. area and 5 through such area itself, and simultaneously establishing a-barrier against diffusion of the resulting contaminated solvent into the surrounding portion of such ,material,

15. In an apparatusof the character described,' the combination of separable members adapted to clamp therebetween a cir cumscribed area of a piece. of fabric or like pe'rmeable material, said members .bemg

chambered; to permit the circulation of" a solvent medium in. opposite directions through the enclosed area of such material.

16. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of separable-members adapted to clamp therebetween aair" cumscribed area of a piece of fabric or like gper'meable material, said members being chambered-to permit the circulation of a solvent medium successively through diflerent portions of the area of such material thus enclosed. i

17. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of separable memb rs adapted to clamp therebetween a cir- I on scribed area of a piece of fabric or like permeable material, said members bemg chambered to permit the circulation of a solvent medium successively "through an. outer portion of the area of such material thus enclosed and through the central portlon J surrounded by such outer portion.*

18. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a cup-member,

or like permeable material against said cupm member, a partition, in the latter forming outer 'annular and central chambers, and means adapted to circulate a solvent medium through such chambers in succession.

19. In an apparatus of the character de scribed,- thecombination of a cup-member, a member adapted to press a piece of fabric or 'like permeable material against said cupmember, a partition in the latter forming outer annular and central chambers, and means adapted to circulate a solvent medium upwardly through such outer chamber and then downwardly through such central chambbr. v

20. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a cup-member, a member adapted to press a piece of fabric orlike permeablematerial against said cupmember, a partition in the. latter forming outer annular and central chambers, aperforated plate at the upper end of such cen- 'tral chamber, a vibrating hammerco-oper- .ative therewith, and means adapted to circulate a solvent medium upwardly through such outerchamber and then downwardly through such central chamber.

21. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of .a cup-member, a relatively movable .hollow member having an open end adapted to co-operate with said cup-member to clamp thereagainst a piece of:

nular and central chambers, a perforated plate at the upper end of such central chambers, a vibratory hammer within said hollow member co-operative' with said plate, and

means adapted to circulate asolvent medium upwardly through such outerv chamber and then downwardly through such central to chamber.

23. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a cup-member, a curved, hollow member having one end open and oscillatory about its otherend to move such open end towards saidcup-member to clamp thereagainstja piece of fabric or like permeable material, a partition in said cup-member forming outer annular and central chambers, a perforatedplate at ,tlie

upper end of such central chamber, a vibrating hammer within said hollow member co operative with said plateyand means adaptedto circulate 'a solvent medium upwardly through such outer chamber and then downwardly through such central chamber.

245. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of separable members'adapted to clamp therebetween a piece of fabric or like permeable material, said members being chambered to permit the circulation of a solvent medium in opposite directions through the enclosed area of such material, and 'regulable means for establishing such flow of'solvent at predetermined rate.

25. In an apparatus of the character described, thecombination of separable members adapted to clamp therebetween a piece of fabric or like permeable material, said members beingchambered to permit the circulation of a solvent medium through-the enclosed area of such material, and regulable means for establishing such flow of solvent at predetermined rate, said means including a storage tank, a circulating pump, a supply pipe leading from said, pump to one such .chamber, a return pipe leading from the other such chamber to said tank, and a 'by-' pass from said first-named pipe to said tank.

Signed by me this 29 da} of October, 1921.

" THOMAS GRISWQLD, J R. 

